Pozole

Difficulty

Medium

Portions

4 - 5 persons

Ingredients

3 lb. of pork (shoulder, head of the loin, and leg)

1 kilogram of pork bones (spine)

2 pig’s feet (soak in cold water for 3 hours)

6 dried guajillo chilies (clean and seedless)

6 dried ancho chilies (clean and seedless)

6 large garlic cloves

1 large onion

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp salt

For cooking the corn

1 kilogram of shelled and dehulled pozole corn

1 large white onion

1 large garlic head or two medium ones

Bay leaves

For the arbol chili sauce

Vegetable oil

Between 25 and 30 arbol chilies

1 garlic clove

4 black peppercorns

2 cloves

1 pinch of marjoram

2 tbsp vinegar

Half a cup of water

Salt to taste

To serve

Thinly sliced red radishes

Thinly sliced lettuce

Lemon juice

Chopped white onion

Salt to taste

Preparation

Wash the meat thoroughly with cold water. Place a large pot with enough water on the fire and when it is boiling add the corn, ensuring it is completely covered with water (at least 10 cm). During cooking, if more water is needed, ensure it is very hot. Add the onion and the halved garlic heads. When the corn is well cooked, add the salt.

In another pot with very hot water, cook the chilies, letting them hydrate for 20 minutes until they are very soft. Let them cool and place them (without the cooking water) in the blender with the chopped garlic and onion. Add oregano, salt, a bit of water, and blend everything well for a minute or two. Then strain the mixture into a non-stick pan, add a good drizzle of oil, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. After 25 minutes, it is ready and can be set aside.

To prepare the arbol chili sauce, which will add more flavor and spiciness to the pozole, place a pan with enough vegetable oil over medium heat and add the arbol chilies and garlic. Stir well to slightly brown the ingredients (without burning them as it can make the sauce bitter). When ready, remove them and place them in the blender jar with the other sauce ingredients. Blend for a few minutes and then pour the sauce into a sauceboat to bring to the table.

After 1 hour and 45 minutes, check the pot with the corn, which should now be cooked. Add the meat (remember it should be at room temperature). If more water is needed, it must be very hot. Add the bay leaves and salt to taste. Leave on medium-low heat for an hour and a half. After this time, remove the garlic, onion, and bay leaves.

Then add the chili mixture to the meat broth and cook over medium heat for another hour. After this time, remove the meat, which is now very soft, remove the bones, shred it, and add it back to the broth. Discard the bones and let it cook for a few more minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

To serve, place enough pozole in each bowl, add lettuce, radishes, white onion,

History of this recipe

Pozole is a traditional Mexican dish made with various seasonal ingredients from the Mexican countryside. From the Nahuatl pozolli, from tlapozonalli, meaning foamy, it is a broth made from cacahuazintle corn kernels, which are precooked for two hours. During this process, the corn kernels lose their fibrous husk and, when boiled, open like flowers, giving them a foamy appearance.

It is believed that this dish was consumed before the Spanish conquest. Emperor Moctezuma enjoyed a dish of Pozole offered to the god Xipe Totec, the lord of fertility, maize regeneration, and war. In cooking recipes collected by Spanish friars after the conquest, it is mentioned that human flesh was cooked with the corn. Other versions suggest that what was boiled in the pozole was not human flesh but xoloitzcuintle, a domesticated dog breed raised for human consumption. Whatever its origin, this dish has transcended time and is now a delicacy, typically enjoyed during Mexican national holidays, though it is always a good time to eat it.

Pozole has different interpretations, depending greatly on who prepares it and the region where it is found. For example:

– White Pozole: The most popular, made with dried cacahuazintle corn and part of the pig’s head, seasoned with lemon juice, salt, hot sauce or ground chile piquín, lettuce, sliced radishes, chopped onion, and ground oregano.

– Red Pozole: Believed to originate from the state of Jalisco, the main difference is that it is made with ancho chili and guajillo chili. It is commonly eaten with pork, but some prepare it with chicken or turkey.

– Green Pozole: Prepared with green tomatoes, epazote, and pumpkin seeds, it is said to come from the state of Guerrero. In some cases, pork rinds and avocado are added as accompaniments.

– Seafood Pozole: Mainly prepared on the coasts of Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit, although it is also consumed in other states. The main ingredient is shrimp broth combined with pork lard. Finally, shrimp, fish, octopus, and scallop are added.

– Vegetarian Pozole: There is a recipe for pozole made with mushrooms. Obviously, the broth is not made with a pig’s head like traditional ones. In this case, it is prepared with bay leaves, garlic, onion, guajillo chili, and mushrooms or other types of fungi.